Green Chile Sauce

Green Chile Sauce is a staple ingredient in many homes in New Mexico. At it’s most basic, it’s simply pureed green chiles that are added to any number of dishes.

However, with just a little extra effort, the green chile flavor is made even better with a handful of spices and a little bit of time on the stove. I like to make large batches of this sauce and stash it in the freezer for anytime we’re craving Mexican food.

The question “Red or Green?” is heard frequently in NM restaurants. Wikipedia even lists it as the State Question for NM. My choice is almost always green while my kids choose red or green depending on their mood.

My husband’s favorite answer to “red or green?” is “Christmas,” a combination of both green and red chile sauces on the same plate.

Green Chile Sauce

There is a world of difference between a homemade green chile sauce and a canned version. This green chile sauce is incredibly flavorful with as much heat as you desire; just purchase mild, medium or hot green chile.

This sauce can be made thick enough to scoop or thin enough to pour. I made mine nice and thick so that I could freeze the extra and not take up more space than necessary in the freezer.

If you know when you make it that you’ll want a smoother sauce, use a small food processor to quickly mince the onions and peppers. Just a few pulses and it will be done. If you prefer a chunkier sauce, you can chop by hand and make the pieces as small or large as you like.

New Mexico Green Chile

If you have access to it, Hatch Green Chile is the most flavorful of any green chile pepper I have ever tasted. If you don’t live in NM or have access to Hatch chiles, Anaheim chile peppers are direct descendants of NM chile peppers.

Anaheim peppers are grown and harvested year-round in Anaheim, CA and they are available across the country throughout the year. NM grown Hatch green chiles are only harvested once a year.

The limited availability of Hatch chile explains why many of my NM friends (and myself included) dedicate full shelves of their freezer for storing the roasted green chile throughout the year.

Green Chile Sauce Recipe

In a large saucepan, warm the oil over medium heat. Add the onions and the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are soft.

Stir together the flour and the spices. Sprinkle this mixture over the onions and stir to coat.

Add 1 cup of water to the mixture in the pan and stir to dissolve the flour.

2tablespoonsflourI used a brown rice flour, all-purpose will work as well

1/2teaspoonground cumin

1/2teaspoonground coriander

1teaspoondried oregano

1/2 - 1teaspoonkosher saltadjust to taste

2cupswater

Instructions

In a large saucepan, warm the oil over medium heat. Add the onions and the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are soft. While this is cooking, stir together the flour and the spices. Sprinkle this mixture over the onions and stir to coat.

Add 1 cup of water to the mixture in the pan and stir to make sure the flour has dissolved. Add green chile and the rest of the water. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a low simmer for 15 minutes. Use within 3-4 days or freeze until needed. Enjoy!

About Mary Younkin

Hi, I’m Mary. I’m the author, cook, photographer, and travel lover behind the scenes here at Barefeet In The Kitchen. I'm also the author of three cookbooks dedicated to making cooking from scratch as simple as possible.

I'm originally from Texas and love different chile sauces. Thanks for your recipe. By the way, I just bought a can of hatch chiles as I can't find fresh in New England. Are they fine for using in recipes?

Canned chiles definitely don't compare, but when you just HAVE to have green chile, they will work in a pinch. Frozen is the next best thing to fresh and if you are lucky enough to live near somewhere selling frozen chile from NM, it is probably Hatch. I bet your Food City sells it frozen, don't they?

I haven't messed with canning it, Sue. We go through it so fast, I can hardly keep the green chile in the freezer. I was thinking it would make awesome gifts though. I may play with that idea for next year.

I've been on a green chile kick for about three months and this sounds like a winner. I don't have any fresh roasted Hatch Chiles, but do have some home grown and roasted Poblanos and Big Jims in the freezer that may make acceptable subs.

You can buy fresh Hatch chili. They usually ship between July and September depending on weather. Just look up Hatch Green chili. If you add yourself to their mailing list, you will receive updates early to mid spring. Warn you, it isn't cheap, but then it never is. Shipping is reasonable considering they are shipping fresh and you want it quickly. Then you can roast your own. I have used to broiler in my oven, the grill, and open wood fire with a grill placed over. When I freeze, I add a bit of garlic to my freezer bag. If you have a a suction bag machine, it works fantastic and they stay forever. Hatch also sells canned. Walmart used to carry it in rather large cans and it was almost as good as fresh. I am unsure if they do now or not.

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